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Ken Macha
Kenneth Edward Macha ( ) (born September 29, 1950, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and a former Major League Baseball player. From 2003 to 2006 he served as manager of the Oakland Athletics, whom he guided to the American League's Western Division championship in both his first season and his final season with the team. Macha was an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, and Toronto Blue Jays for six seasons (1974, 1977-81) and is a first cousin to Hal Newhouser.Nine to be inducted into CWRU athletic hall of fame In the offseason, he lives in Murrysville, Pennsylvania with his family. Playing career Macha is a graduate of Gateway High School in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 1972 June draft. He was the Eastern League batting champion in 1974 with the Thetford Mines Pirates. He hit a combined .258 in 180 Major League Baseball games. He spent four years in Japan (Chunichi Dragons), from 1982 until 1985, as well. Coaching career He retired as a player in 1985 and joined the Montreal Expos as a major league coach in 1986. He spent six seasons with the Expos before moving to the California Angels as bullpen, then third base, coach. He joined the Boston Red Sox organization in fall 1994. The 1997 season marked Macha's first as manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. In the previous two seasons he managed the Double-A Trenton Thunder to first-place finishes, including a league-best 86–56 record and another division crown in 1996. He was chosen as 1996 Eastern League Manager of the Year. He was also picked to manage the American League affiliates in the Double-A All-Star Game. Macha then joined the Oakland Athletics as bench coach, serving under former Pirates teammate Art Howe from 1999 through 2002. In March 2002, the A's denied permission for the Red Sox to contact Macha about their managerial vacancy. Boston then hired Grady Little, while Macha spent a final season as a coach until he was tapped to succeed Howe, who became pilot of the New York Mets after the season ended. In one of the most unusual contract moves ever, Macha's pact expired on October 8, 2005 and negotiations broke down between the two sides trying to reach a deal; eventually it broke apart and Macha was out of a job. Six days later—apparently after talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but either not being offered the managerial position there or deciding not to take it—Macha reached a deal with the Athletics and became manager once again. He was later fired on October 16, 2006 by general manager Billy Beane, after the A's were swept out of the American League Championship Series by the Detroit Tigers. After he was dismissed from his managerial position in Oakland, the Seattle Mariners offered Macha a position as bench coach to manager Mike Hargrove, but Macha refused, citing his desire to take a year off. He was then offered a position as a senior adviser to Mariners GM Bill Bavasi. However, in April 2007, Macha accepted a part-time position as a pre- and post-game analyst for New England Sports Network, which telecasts Boston Red Sox games. On October 30, 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers announced Macha as the Brewers' new manager. He signed a 2-year contract and will manage the team through at least the 2010 season. Managerial statistics See also * List of Major League Baseball managers in 2006 References External links * * Category:Sportspeople from Pennsylvania Category:Baseball players from Pennsylvania Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Montreal Expos players Category:Toronto Blue Jays players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan Category:Chunichi Dragons players Category:Major League Baseball managers Category:California Angels coaches Category:Oakland Athletics coaches Category:Oakland Athletics managers Category:Milwaukee Brewers managers Category:Pawtucket Red Sox Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Pittsburgh Panthers baseball players Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Montreal Expos coaches Category:Major League Baseball bench coaches Category:Managers Category:Coaches Category:Announcers Category:Players